Kiss Kiss
by Newbie GK
Summary: He didn’t want to do this. It would break his wife’s heart to hear what he had discovered but it needed to be done. Still, he kind of wished she wasn’t wielding a three inch blade as he broke the news. Drabbles based on the Thirty Kisses Challenge.
1. Bad Day Redefined

**Author's Note**: I have always wanted to do the thirty kisses livejournal challenge. A couple weeks ago, I decided to just go for it. Unfortunately, this isn't an official registered story at livejournal. I tried to register it, but I found myself getting quite confused quite rapidly. I still hope you enjoy it in any case.

**Summary**: Not even two minutes after Ryoma woke up, he knew it was going to be a bad day. Then Sakuno comes along. Who knew bad days could seem so good?

**Prompt: **#3 Jolt!

**Disclaimer**: Prince of Tennis is not mine. If it was, Ryoma wouldn't be so oblivious to Sakuno's feelings.

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**Kiss Kiss  
#3 Jolt!**

* * *

Not even two minutes after Ryoma woke up, he knew it was going to be a bad day. Apparently, the power had gone out sometime in the night, so his alarm clock didn't go off to wake him up on time. His cousin had noticed his absence at the breakfast table so she knocked on his door. But by then, he was already running twenty minutes behind. By the time he had gotten dressed and made it to the table, he was twenty-six minutes behind. Then his mother put a plate in front of him to eat. It was eggs.

Runny, bright yellow scrambled eggs.

Ryoma hated most western food but he had a special hated reserved for eggs. Especially the scrambled kind.

But since he didn't have time to get anything else, he had to eat them. Ryoma managed to choke down a few bites without too much gagging before racing out the door.

By some miracle, he managed to make it to school before the bell rang. Slowly his pace outside the gates, Ryoma realized that in his haste he had forgotten to grab the bento his cousin made. So not only did he have to eat American food for breakfast but he probably wouldn't get anything for lunch. He wondered how his day could get any worse.

Then the fangirls showed up.

"RYOMA-SAMA!!" came the unified shout of over twenty sparkly-eyed, heart-on-the-sleeve wearing, teenage schoolgirls.

A pair of hazel catlike eyes widen in fear. In that split-second, the pack of overeager females descended, leaving him with only one choice. He took off running.

Around ten minutes later, he had finally managed to shake off even the most devoted of his followers. It another ten seconds to realize how. The bell had already rung starting class. He was late for school.

By lunchtime, Ryoma had managed to suffer through rock-climbing in gym, a pop quiz in Japanese Literature Studies, and a lecture from his English teacher about napping in class. And the day was only half over.

Stomach grumbling, he craned his head trying to find Ryuzaki. Oblivious as he was, he had noticed that most days she had either made an extra bento or had over packed the one she brought for herself. He still couldn't figure out why she had so much trouble estimating how much food to make for herself for lunch but he couldn't complain too much since she normally would offer him whatever she had leftover.

He saw her sitting next to the loud girl and a few other people he vaguely recognized as his classmates. He scowled. He hated having to deal with the loud girl. She was just so… _**loud**_. Then his stomach grumbled. Right, some sacrifices (like his hearing) must be made.

He took a breath, narrowed his eyes piercingly, and stalked over to the smiling group. At ten feet away, a few eyes had noticed his approach. By five, most of the group had turned his way. Standing right before them, all conversation ceased and they all stared directly at him. He tugged at white cap briefly before forcing his hand into his pocket.

"Ano… R-ryoma-kun? Is there something you need?"

A hand tugged at his cap then dropped back to his side.

"Ryoma-kun?"

"I forgot my bento at home."

Sakuno's eyes widened with understanding. She started blushing and mumbled out something he couldn't understand.

"What?" he asked, the lack of food making him cranky. Well, more cranky than usual anyway.

"She said she doesn't have anything she can give you," one of the boys in the group volunteered. Ryoma focused the attention of his glare on him for a moment before directing his attention back to Sakuno.

"Why not?"

He ignored the comments of 'how rude' and 'man, Echizen's so bossy' in order to focus on Sakuno's answer.

She cleared her throat and tried to project her voice the best she could. It came out as a barely audible whisper. "Momo-sempai took it."

The scowl on his face deepened. Ryoma turned on his heel and marched away from the group. He had a sempai to hunt down. Forgotten bento or not, no one ate Ryuzaki's food but him.

He had just spotted the Dunk Smash player in time to watch him gobble down an octopus-shaped sausage. **His** octopus-shaped sausage.

"Ah, Ryoma!" Momo called upon seeing the young tennis prodigy. He waved at him enthusiastically, gesturing for Ryoma to join him.

Ryoma did come over but remained standing. Momo looked up at a pair of dangerously angry hazel eyes. Suddenly, the warm air seemed quite chilly. Momo tried to smile and raised his hands in a placating manner. The glare increased, causing Momo to chuckle nervously. "So how are things, Ryoma?"

"You took my food."

Momo scrambled to his feet trying to recall what Ryoma was talking about. Sure, he had swiped a few hamburgers from his plate before but that was weeks ago. He was about to deny the accusation when Ryoma spoke up again.

"You took the food Ryuzaki made."

This had him stumped. "Well, yeah but she said I-"

"That food was mine."

Momo was about to argue back but he realized that something important just happened. He just had a revelation that he needed to attend to first. "You mean," he began slowly trying to hide the glee in his voice lest Ryoma became too suspicious, "that food of Ryuzaki's was yours?"

Ryoma nodded once swiftly and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Ryuzaki makes **you** food?"

Ryoma nodded again slightly wary of where the conversation was headed.

Momo looked up at the sun and blinked innocently as if he was trying to solve a complicated math problem. "So… she's like your girlfriend then?" he asked, watching Ryoma carefully from the corner of his eye.

Ryoma wanted to strangle the irritating sophomore and curse his bad luck for not heading off the conversation before it went so far. But a strangled squeak behind Ryoma drew his attention elsewhere. He quickly turned around. It seems that Sakuno had shown up in time to hear Momo-sempai's "innocent" remark. Although, there had only been a light dusting of pink on Ryoma's checks before, only noticeable to the most astute observer, now there was a definite red tinge to his checks. _'Just great,' _he thought tugging his cap lower to prevent Momo from noticing anything, _'what else can go wrong today?' _

"Aw, look your girlfriend's here, Ryoma!" Momo shouted happily, giving him an exuberant pat on the shoulder. Caught off guard, Ryoma fell forward. Right unto Ryuzaki, or more precisely, her lips.

The soft warm sensation only last a few seconds but it had been enough. The taste of strawberries lingered on Ryoma's lips. In silence the two tennis players watched Ryu- Sakuno make a rapid retreat. Momo, shocked speechless, missed the way Ryoma's hand reached up to touch his lips. Tugging the cap down, Ryoma walked swiftly away in the other direction.

Underneath a white cap, Ryoma smirked, _'Today is definitely a __**good**__ day.'_


	2. Unrivaled

**Author's Note**: Sorry for the long wait. I would go into the reasons but I think it would be better to get right into the story. Also I will admit ahead of time that Ryoma acts slightly childishly in this one. If you think he is **completely** OOC, I say to you "maybe, maybe not." Remember, Ryoma likes getting the things he wants and when things don't go his way… he tends to get a bit upset. Plus, he was completely in character at first, he really was… but then inner Ryoma got out and I couldn't stop him. (Inner Ryoma has dimples if you didn't know and they are very hard to resist!)

**Warning**: There is some plotting of another's demise, some swear words, a mention of a grenade launcher, and the opening of two cans of whoop ass. Power to the Prince of Tennis, baby!

**Summary**: Someone has been trying to worm his way into Sakuno's heart. Good thing Ryoma knows that worms are meant to be squashed quickly and without hesitation.

**Prompt**: #16 invincible; unrivaled (unrelated to previous drabble)

**Disclaimer**: Prince of Tennis is not mine. If it was, Sakuno would play a more predominant role in the series.

* * *

Kiss Kiss  
#16 invincible; unrivaled  
Version 3.0

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His name was Ishikawa Katsu. He had recently moved from Morioka in the Tohoku region of Japan and had transferred into Seigaku High School. He liked playing sports, solving complex math problems, and traveling. He was kind to his fellow students and spoke politely to all his teachers. His friendly nature helped him fit in easily and his ever-present smile had already won him the hearts of his female classmates. He was perfect.

And Ryoma hated him.

True, Ryoma hadn't even learned of his existence until a week after he had transferred in. And true, Ryoma hadn't even cared to learn the name of the "cool, new transfer student" until a few days ago. But now he cared. Now he knew he should have taking the time to learn about his newest enemy before it was too late.

"Ryoma-sama!"

Ryoma's catlike eyes darted in the direction of the voice. Sitting beneath a cherry blossom tree, the loud girl, Osakada, beamed at him and waved him over to join the small group that sat there. On the left of her sat Ryuzaki who smiled at him shyly. He saw Osakada turn and whisper something to her. Ryuzaki ducked her head down, probably to hide a blush, before she gave a slight encouraging nod.

"Y-you should j-join us Ryoma-kun," she called out from amongst the small group of his classmates.

He tugged on his cap a little to hide his smirk. Usually, he would eat by himself on the Southern section of the school. It was quiet there, devoid of fangirls, and enabled him to eat his lunch in peace and take a quick nap before classes resumed. Even so, he would occasionally give into Ryuzaki's shy invitation to join the group for lunch and socialize. Not that he actually talked when he sat with them. He mostly just sat there quietly and amused himself by catching Ryuzaki try to sneak a glance at him before her cheeks turned pink. He was about to head over when something caught Sakuno's eye and she spoke up again.

"Katsu-kun," she said waving cheerfully to the boy behind Ryoma, "are you going to join us too?"

"Of course, Sakuno-chan, I would love to."

Wait, what? Sakuno-_chan_? What right did he have to call her that? Everyone but the loud girl called her Ryuzaki. Ryoma watched as the boy eagerly joined the group by taking a spot on the other side of _Sakuno_-_**chan**_. Ryoma's eyes narrowed into a glare at the fact that aside from blushing to a color of fuchsia, Ryuzaki didn't protest at Ishikawa's choice of seating.

"R-Ryoma-kun?" Sakuno called nervously upon seeing the normally apathetic tennis player looking so angry.

Ryoma didn't answer. Instead, he turned quickly on his heel and stormed away. His hunger forgotten, replaced by a burning desire to work off some unforeseen tension on the tennis courts.

"Hey Ryoma, where ya headed?"

Ryoma glanced to his side and found Momo-sempai leaning against the school wall wolfing down some food. Ryoma's catlike eyes gleaned. Perfect, he had found a victim.

"Let's play tennis," Ryoma demanded.

Momo choked on his juice. After his coughing fit subsided and he had cleaned up the juice he spilt, Momo took a long look at Ryoma. "Why?" he asked suspiciously. Ryoma rolled his eyes. Despite his laidback appearance, Momo was too intuitive for his own good. Ryoma would need a distraction in order to avoid having Momo pry too deeply into his motives. Ryoma glanced at the half-remaining food left in Momo's box.

"We'll play for our bentos."

Momo grinned. His stomach overruled his head any day. "You're on," he said eagerly.

Fortunately, the gates to the tennis courts were rarely locked. Most of the Seigaku regulars liked to do additional practices so playing during the lunch break wasn't an uncommon event. Unfortunately, once the word got around (and it always did) that there was going to be a match, especially between two regulars, a large crowd would show up to watch. Just like now.

Ryoma adjusted his cap and got into position. Momo had won the right to serve first and Ryoma wanted to be ready for him. Momo had just taken his place on the line when a shy brown-haired girl caught Ryoma's attention. Ryuzaki was here. When she realized that he had spotted her, she blushed but didn't look away. Instead, she smiled at him shyly. Ryoma smirked. He shifted his eyes back to the Dunk Smash player. Momo-sempai was going down.

The match was quick but intense. Even though Ryoma had grown since middle school, he still had trouble competing with Momo's natural height and extraordinarily wide reach. But Ryoma was quicker. And he was determined to win since there was a pair of sweet brown eyes watching his every move.

The score was tied at 3-3. Ryoma had the serve. He was bouncing the ball to prepare for his serve when he noticed the person standing next to Ryuzaki. It seems that Ryuzaki's precious "Katsu-kun" had arrived. With his back to the game, he leaned against the fence and prevented Sakuno from watching the game. And prevented Ryoma from seeing her. His grip on the ball tightened.

Anytime Sakuno shifted to look at the game from over Katsu's shoulder, Katsu moved just as quickly to block her view. The final straw was when Ishikawa put his hand on her shoulder and leaned in close to her ear. Sakuno's eyes went wide at his words and for the first time since her arrival, Sakuno's eyes left the tennis courts to instead focus on Katsu. The ball still in his hand, Ryoma's eyes narrowed with predatory intent. It was time to finish this.

Momo never saw the serve coming. Before the high school sophomore could even move, the ball had hit his side of the court, bounced away and stuck the fence nailing a poor, unfortunate boy named Ishikawa Katsu right in the back of the head. The crowd went silent, eyes darting between the tennis prodigy and the new transfer student.

Katsu turned around slowly to look at Ryoma. Ryoma looked back, face blank but eyes gleaming. But Katsu simply smiled genially at Ryoma as if to show no hard feelings. In response, the crowd resumed their commentary thinking the incident was over. Ryoma however knew better. He noticed that rather than removing his hand from Sakuno, Katsu placed it squarely around her shoulders before grinning smugly at Ryoma. Ryoma picked up the next ball and glared. It seemed that Katsu hadn't learned his lesson yet.

The next serve came in just as fast. And so did the one after that. Ryoma dominated the rest of the game, leaving the spectators and Momo-sempai stunned speechless. When it was over, Ryoma grabbed his stuff and walked off the court, even angrier than when he had arrived. He had thought that thrashing Momo in a game of tennis would make him feel better. But somehow winning a game while Ishikawa flirted with Sakuno on the sidelines made the victory seem a bit hollow. He ignored the congratulatory praise from his classmates and pushed past the crowd, intent on heading back to the classroom. His lunch and the one he won from Momo forgotten.

By the time the warning bell rang, Ryoma already sat slouched down in his seat still pissed off and without an outlet for his frustrations. Then to make things worse, Katsu walked in surrounded with adoring fans. Noticing Ryoma's gaze, Katsu gave him a wide, white smile. "Great game," he said pleasantly.

Ryoma didn't answer. He was too busy imagining all the different ways he could slam a tennis ball into Katsu's big, fat, empty head. So far, he counted fourteen. Wait, make that fifteen.

Katsu, upon noticing that he was being ignored, decided to speak up again. "You know I used to play tennis at my old school."

Once again, Ryoma chose to ignore him. On the plus side, he was now up to twenty-three unique ways to bash Katsu with a ball. Of course, number eighteen would be hard to achieve. He was a bit lacking on a grenade launcher, but Ryoma was confident that he could improvise.

"I was actually pretty good too."

This time Ryoma couldn't help but snort in disbelief. Katsu stiffed in response which caused Ryoma's trademark smirk to appear. It seemed he hit a nerve.

"You don't believe me?"

Ryoma looked at Katsu, then looked away as if bored with the whole conversation. Resting his head on his right hand, he absentmindedly noticed that the normal chatter in the classroom had died away and that everyone was following their conversation.

Katsu smirked and folded his arms over his chest. "I can prove it to you. Why don't we play a match today after school?"

Hidden from view, Ryoma's smirk grew. That was almost too easy."Fine," Ryoma said in a bored tone. "But it will have to be later tonight. At the park courts."

"Fine with me. I'll see you then," Katsu said before heading to his seat.

Ryoma folded his hands over his desk, hazel eyes dancing wildly. Tonight he was going to have some fun.

Four hours later, dreams were becoming reality. Ryoma bounced the ball against the ground and looked across the court. "Oi, you sure you don't want to serve first?" he called nonchalantly.

Katsu, all ego and no brains, huffed indignantly. "I'll be perfectly fine," he said and got into position.

Ryoma rolled his eyes. He had tried to be nice. If Katsu was too stupid to understand that then it wasn't Ryoma's problem. He caught the ball and glanced around once more. The word of Katsu's challenge had spread around school so Ryoma wasn't surprised to see such a large gathering. He wouldn't be surprised if some of the Regulars were here hiding in the shadows.

But Ryoma ignored the unfamiliar faces and excited chatter and focused on the only reason he was bothering to play someone at such a low skill level; Ryuzaki looked back at him. She smiled. Katsu, upon noticing where his opponent's attention rested, was foolish enough to sign his death warrant.

"Don't forget to cheer for me, Sakuno-chan!" he called out to the shy girl. Sakuno broke eye contact with Ryoma to stare at Katsu-kun. Although he couldn't actually see it, Ryoma knew without a doubt that a trademark blush lit her cheeks. Ryoma lowered his cap; hazel eyes flashing in annoyance. It was time to finish this once and for all.

He tossed the ball in the air and his racket slammed it across the court. Katsu was no match for the speed and severity of his infamous Twist Serve. Each serve revealed Ryoma's deadly accuracy as the ball would hit Katsu's side of the court, spin wildly, and then launch upward to nail Katsu in the face, arm, and chest. By the time the game finished with Ryoma winning in a shut-out victory, Katsu was covered in cuts and bruises. It was no match. It was a slaughter.

When he finished, Ryoma silently walked over to his bag and began packing up his things. His anger mostly abated but still simmering under the surface. That was until he noticed a lone figure making her way unto the courts. A familiar girl with twin braids walked confidently past the gaping crowd to make her way to one of the players. Except the person Sakuno was headed towards wasn't him.

His simmering anger rose back into life. She went to _**him**_. She went to _**his**_ side. She went to see if her precisious "Katsu-kun" was alright. Once again, the stab of bitterness had stolen the sweetness of his victory. He swore quietly. This is why girls were so annoying. Their fickle nature couldn't be trusted. He began throwing his things into his gym bad with unnecessary force, anything to dispel the image of Sakuno hovering around Ishikawa's side. He had just finished packing his bag when the conversation from the other side of the court drifted to his ears.

"But Sakuno-chan…"

"No Katsu-kun, what were you thinking?"

Hearing Sakuno's voice filled with such disapproval piqued his attention. He looked for an excuse to hang out around a little bit longer. He sat his bag back down and began unpacking his bag. He had just shoved everything in there the first time and definitely needed fixing. He hated to have his tennis rackets and tennis balls so unorganized…

"I can't believe you tried to play Ryoma. I told you this would happen."

Wait? She told him this would happen?

Ishikawa sighed pitifully. "I know Sakuno-chan, I'm sorry for my behavior." Ryoma nearly snarled. That rat bastard was trying to use remorse to get back into her good side. Only an idiot would fall for such a cheap trick.

"Oh Katsu-kun," Sakuno said suddenly embarrassed, "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have been so harsh."

Ryoma scowled at the dense girl. She was an idiot. That stupid girl would probably help a thief rob her if he asked nicely enough. He watched Katsu smile cheerfully upon getting back unto Sakuno's good graces. "It's alright Sakuno-chan, I feel much better now that you're here."

That stupid girl better not be blushing…A quick glance behind him informed him that she was. Ryoma grabbed his bag, determined to leave before the conversation turned his stomach any more than it already had.

"And don't worry Sakuno-chan, I'll definitely beat Echizen-kun next time."

Ryoma grinned darkly. Next time? He would have yet another chance to pummel Ishikawa's face into oblivion? Now that was something to look forward to doing.

"N-next time?" Sakuno's shocked voice rang out over the empty courts.

Katsu nodded seriously. "Yeah, next time. I know all of his cheap tricks now so next time I play him, I'll win for sure."

Ryoma felt a bit offended to hear his techniques referred to as 'cheap tricks' but before he could say anything about it, someone had already spoken up.

"Ishikawa-kun," he heard Sakuno say in a dark tone he never thought possible.

"Yes," replied the oblivious Katsu.

"You're an idiot." She paused a moment to let her words sink in. "And you will never win against Ryoma-kun."

And with that, the typical shy girl marched off the courts without sparing a backward glance to either of the two boys she had left flabbergasted. Katsu sank to the ground trying to figure out where he went wrong. Ryoma absentmindedly fiddled with his cap as he slowly made his way home. His mind replaying what had just taken place.

Beating Katsu. Good.

Beating Katsu while Sakuno watched. Better.

Beating Katsu while Sakuno watched and then hearing her chew Katsu out on his behalf? Now _that_ tasted like a sweet kiss of victory.


	3. Just What The Doctor Ordered

**Author's Note:** Once again, I apologize for the wait. But the good news is that I already have two other chapters for this story near completion. So I should be posting two more chapters before the end of February. In any case, I want to point out that this story is not related to any earlier chapters. In fact, this chapter takes place in an alternate universe in which Ryoma never went to school in Japan and therefore never met Sakuno or the others. Consequently, the timeline and Ryoma's abilities are a bit different. Please keep this in mind while reading. Also, I want to send a quick shout-out to all my reviewers, including Sepheraf, for brightening my day and encouraging me to write.

**Warning**: Alternate Universe; minor swearing; unedited

**Summary**: Ryoma had given up hope that he would ever play tennis again. But when he encounters a determined physical therapist named Sakuno, he finds himself changing his mind.

**Prompt**: #28 Wada Calcium CD3 (calcium tablets)

**Disclaimer**: Prince of Tennis is not mine. If it was, Ryoma would focus a little less on tennis and a little more on Sakuno.

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Kiss Kiss  
#28 Wada Calcium CD3  
Just What the Doctor Ordered

* * *

"There you go Tezuka-san. Now how does your shoulder feel?"

Tezuka flexed his arm experimentally, then gave the girl a small smile. "It feels much better Ryuzaki-san."

Sakuno smiled at the response, hands moving to jot down notes on her clipboard. Ryuzaki Sakuno had been his physical therapist for just over three months now. When he first arrived, he had been skeptical wondering if the petite woman could really help him. He suffered from an old middle school injury that had interfered with his playing abilities for years. The pain was tolerable and he had managed. Then he played in a selective tournament in Germany and faced the toughest competition he had ever played against. After it was over, he emerged with a second place trophy and a busted arm. He knew that if he ever wanted to achieve his goals, something had to be done. He announced to a shell-shocked media that he planned to skip playing in Wimbledon and take a one year sabbatical in the hopes that resting his arm would allow him to recuperate and reach his full potential. Since his unexpected announcement, he had been to countless number of other doctors and physical therapists, but no one had seemed up to his impeccable standards.

Then his old tennis coach mentioned that her granddaughter ran a clinic known as Helping Hands, located in the Kyūshū region. Knowing he had nothing to lose, Tezuka scheduled a single session. A few sessions later, he signed up for regular weekly sessions and dismissed all other doctors in favor of Sakuno's healing touch.

During each session, he watched Sakuno work her magic with a gentle smile and unwavering determination. Three months later, his arm was beginning to move easier and without the constant pain he had become accustom to over the years. Something he never believed possible. Sakuno was a miracle-worker, even if she didn't realize it.

"Okay Tezuka-san, I want you to continue the strengthening exercises I showed you and the weight lifting regime that Momo-san recommended. Other than that, I'll see you on Thursday.

He nodded and rose from the examination table. "Until then, Ryuzaki-san," he said with a nod before heading out the door.

Sakuno smiled at his retreating figure and then took a look around the room. Various weights and mats were scattered over the floor from when they had been going through the exercises. The place looked like a pigpen. Sakuno sighed. She needed to hire a maid one of these days.

But then again, putting someone else on the payroll for such a menial task didn't seem worth it. She liked just having such a small number of people who worked there. She loved working hands on doing basic stretches and exercises and the complimentary skills of Momo's weight lifting regime and Inui's nutritional advice filled in any areas she might miss. No, Sakuno thought with a smile as she began straightening the room, she rather keep things the way they were. She was carrying a handful of used towels to put in the laundry bin when the phone rang. At first, she ignored it wondering why her secretary Ann hadn't picked it up yet. Then she remembered. Ann had the day off today.

With an undignified squeak, she dropped the towels on the examination table and sprinted to the phone. She managed to reach it just after the fifth ring and rushed to respond. "Hello?" she gasped, out of breath from her dash.

"Sakuno-chan you'll never believe what just happened!"

Sakuno blinked upon hearing the familiar, excited grabble. "Tomo-chan?"

"Yes, it's me, now guess what just happened!"

Sakuno racked her brain, trying to figure out what had gotten her friend so excited this time. Maybe something unexpected happened at work. Or maybe she was trying to arrange another informal gathering back in Tokyo. Or maybe the mall had another huge sale and she wanted Sakuno to accompany her. With Tomo-chan, it could be almost anything.

"Ah…" she said.

"He proposed!"

This threw her off. "What?"

"Last night we went to Ippudo, the place where we went for our first anniversary. Through the whole dinner, Kaoru had been acting strange so finally I asked what was going on. I thought he was breaking up with me but when I told him that he got real irritated. We were about to start fighting right then and there when he pulled a ring out of nowhere and told me that he wasn't trying to break up with me, he was trying to propose to me."

"Con-congratulations Tomo-chan," Sakuno stammered, trying to absorb what she had heard. Tomo was getting married? Dazed by the news, Sakuno missed what Tomo said.

"Sakuno? Sakuno-chan?"

"Yes, Tomo-chan?"

"I said I'm doing an American style wedding and I wanted to know if you would be my Maid of Honor."

"Oh," she said, equally stunned and honored by the request, "of course. I would love to."

They chatted for a few minutes about the styles of dresses the bridesmaids would wear and what kind of food to have at the reception. Tomo did most of the talking with Sakuno making noises of agreement every so often. Tomo did tell her that the wedding would be held in Tokyo which meant that Sakuno needed to make travel arrangements. They talked for a few more minutes after that about everyday things before they hung up.

Sakuno set the phone back into its cradle with a sigh. Her fingers lingered for a moment as she thought about what she had learned. Tomo-chan was getting married. Sakuno was happy for her of course, but a small part of her felt a bit envious. Deep down she longed for what Tomo had. Someone to share a life with.

Sakuno sighed again and shook her head to erase the negative thoughts inside. No use wallowing in self-pity. Tomo-chan deserved the best and Sakuno was happy for her. End of story. She turned to resume cleaning when she noticed there was a man standing in the doorway watching her. A very attractive man that she had never seen before. When he saw that he had her attention, he smiled like a predator who had just stumbled upon new prey.

"My name is Echizen Ryoma," he said, flashing his perfectly white teeth, "I'm your next patient."

* * *

"Where the hell are you taking me?"

"Calm down; I'm taking you somewhere nice."

"… are you taking me to another strip joint because okaa-san made you sleep on the couch for a month after that."

"Of course not! Geeze brats these days have no sense of humor."

Ryoma rolled his eyes, automatically tuning out his father's pitiful attempts to defend his actions. When the sound of his ranting finally died down, Ryoma glanced over at him again and waited.

His father sighed, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. "I'm taking you some place that will help," he said, unable to prevent himself from glancing at the arm that Ryoma held in a sling. Ryoma's expression tightened but he didn't say anything. The inadvertent glance had told him all he needed to know. He was headed to see yet another doctor or physical therapist about the arm he had injured over two months ago at Wimbledon.

It was the semi-finals. His opponent was a man named Ibu Shinji. At first, the match went surprisingly well. Both men gaining a point here and there but neither dominating the match. It was about ten minutes into the match when his right arm began acting strange. It was small, hardly noticeable things at first. Right when Ryoma went to swing his arm muscles would tighten and he would have trouble moving it. But he managed. And the game went on. Then an easy serve came in. Ryoma smirked, seeing an opportunity to score an easy point by driving the ball back. He pulled his arm back to hit it when his arm completely froze. He stood there like a complete idiot, frozen in time, as a serve an amateur could easily hit went sailing past him untouched.

Ibu started laughing. He eagerly explained that his technique of mixing topspins and slices could freeze the muscles in his opponent's arm. He laughed telling him it was impossible to beat him when Ryoma couldn't even swing a racket. Ryoma's body was now under his control and there was nothing Ryoma could do.

It went on like that for a few minutes, Ibu gaining point after point, while Ryoma stood frozen. The only points he could score were when he won the serve and could use his Twist Serve. But when it was Ibu's serve, he was in trouble. A few minutes went by and the game had reached its climax: whoever scored the next point would win the game and the entire set. And Ryoma had an idea. A goddamn stupid idea, he now realized but back then it seemed like his only option.

Ryoma got ready, smirk hidden beneath his white cap. When Ibu's serve came, instead of pulling back his arm to swing, he spun on his heel at the last second, forcing his frozen arm to hit the ball. And it worked. The ball ricocheted off his racket and sailed back to Ibu's side of the court. Ibu, too surprised at someone being able to return his shot, hesitated too long and couldn't reach the ball in time. Ryoma got the point. Too bad, he was in too much pain to take any joy in that fact.

The moment the ball had hit his racket, a terrible pain raced through his arm. The doctor later told him that the pain he felt was the ligaments in his arm tearing apart. With a grim expression, he explained that his right arm would never be able to play tennis again, much less on a professional level. Ryoma had won the match but lost the game forever.

Ryoma grimaced at the memory and went back to looking out the car window. The two sat in silence the rest of the way.

When Nanjiro slowed down to park, Ryoma began to look at the "nice place" that his father thought could help. The building was moderate in size. The outside was a pale yellow and the sign above the door read: Helping Hands. Ryoma gave his father a skeptical look.

Nanjiro rolled his eyes as he opened the front door. "Don't judge a building by its front door," he said in English.

"It's don't judge a book by its cover," Ryoma corrected, walking through the open door.

There was a man inside talking on the phone. When Ryoma walked in, the man stiffened and sent him appraising look. Instantly, Ryoma felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Not willing to back down, Ryoma held the look. To his surprise, the man smirked as if he had learned something valuable and looked away. Less than a minute later, he was out the door with his phone tucked closely to his ear. Ryoma glowered at his back, wondering what that was all about.

"Oi, brat, I'm leaving now."

"What?"

"You're in your twenties, Ì hardly think you need your old man holding your hand during a preliminary appointment. I'll be back in a half hour."

Ryoma looked away but didn't answer. Truth be told, he was surprised that his father had taken him this far. Shaking his head and muttering comments about stupid, lazy men, Ryoma headed deeper inside the building. Might as well get this over with.

He passed the secretary's desk but found no one in sight. He was going to take a seat on one of the chairs in the waiting area but the door into the office was cracked and he could hear a voice coming from within. He headed towards the door and was surprised at what he saw inside.

It was a woman. She was young, probably around his age or younger. She stood near one of the big bay windows talking on the phone. Her free hand had woven itself into the cord as she talked about a conversation he could only half hear. He was about to alert her to his presence when she laughed. It was a small sound, more of a giggle really but it was almost endearing in a way.

He watched from the doorway for a few more moments trying to figure out what was so attractive about the woman. The fame and popularity of playing tennis had long ago introduced him to many different kinds of woman but something about this particular one drew him to her. It wasn't her beauty, although she was fairly easy on the eyes. In fact, he couldn't figure out what it could have been until he saw it again.

It was her smile. Her smile was real and genuine, so unlike the majority of people he encountered most days. He could only catch a glimpse of it at this angle but he knew that the full thing would be even more beautiful. He noted her phone conversation was coming to a close so he settled into the doorway to wait for her to finally acknowledge his presence. When her eyes glanced at the doorway then widened in shock, he knew his wait was over.

"My name is Echizen Ryoma. I'm your next patient."

* * *

The moment the man spoke, an old movie quote popped into Sakuno's head: looks like Trouble just walked in the door.

Sakuno blinked trying to process his words. "Echizen-san?"

"Ryoma."

"What?"

"I've lived in the United States all my life so I'm used to being called Ryoma."

Sakuno blushed and fidgeted slightly. She knew the westerners called each other by their personal names, a practice she had always found a little bit odd. She looked at him once again. There was no way she could call him "Ryoma." It was too intimate, too personal. She took note of his delivish smile and blushed. In fact, calling him Ryoma seemed downright dangerous.

"Echizen-san..." she started to explain.

"Ryoma."

"...Echizen-san."

"Ryoma."

Sakuno sighed in defeat. This was getting her nowhere. "Ryoma-san?"

"Yes?" he answered innocently.

"I don't recall your name on my list of appointments. The Echizen listing I have is a forty-two year old named Nanjiro."

"My father. He must have put it under his name to prevent it from being leaked to the press."

Sakuno frowned at this disclosure.

"Something wrong?" he asked in that innocent tone of voice again.

Sakuno didn't make it a habit of telling off clients but rules were there for a reason and when someone broke those rules it usually lead to injury. Even so, he was a new patient and she couldn't risk losing business by insulting him on the first day.

So she put a business-like smile on her face and spoke in very controlled even tones, "The reason we ask for such personal information is so we can recommend the best treatment course possible. For instance, if a forty-two year old man broke his arm, the first priority in therapy would be to prescribe calcium tablets to help restore and aid his bones in recovery. On the other hand, a twenty year old would have less need for such things because his body would process calcium easier and the daily nutrients within his food would be enough."

"You're angry," he said with an amused smile which just made her feel more irritated.

"I'm upset because your father wasted time by giving us _his_ personal information instead of _yours_."

He grinned and stepped further into the room. "Well then Doc, I guess you're just going to have to take the time to get to know me," he said sitting down on a cushioned chair that was normally reserved for waiting family members, "fire away."

Sakuno gaped at him for a moment. She explained how his father wasted valuable time and he responded by _flirting _with her? Unbelievable. She squared her shoulders. She had handled all kinds of people in this job, she could take care of him too. Echizen Ryoma was going down.

The conversation that followed only served to reaffirm her earlier impressions; he was truly attractively. He was even delightfully charming. And he made her want to rip her hair out.

In other words, he was definitely Trouble.

He alternated between charming her with a wicked smirk and unwavering confidence and aggravating her with evasive answers. Anytime she would try to get him back on track and learning about what caused his injury, he would just flash her that smirk and the argument she had in her head would slip. Definitely trouble. And yet, she could somehow feel herself being drawn to him.

"Echizen-san.."

"Ryoma."

She sighed. "Ryoma-san, please, we only have a few minutes left and we still have some things we need to discus."

"Then we should meet for coffee and discus it then."

She blushed, but then cleared her throat. "I don't think that would be appropriate."

"Boss will get mad?"

"Ryoma-san…" she said embarrassed.

He laughed, a rich timbre sound. "Fine, just tell me one thing."

"What?"

He grinned and leaned closer to her. She felt her heart sped up inside her chest. "What will it take to get you to go out with me?"

"A lot more than that pitiful attempt, brat."

Sakuno jumped to her feet and stared at the doorway where a tall, scruffy-haired man stood. She searched for something to say but her mind was blank.

"Whatever old man," Ryoma responded gruffly, but Sakuno could detect a faint flush to his cheeks. He was embarrassed. And rather cute. If she wasn't so embarrassed herself, she would giggle. As it was she was still trying to figure out the relationship between the two men before her.

Fortunately, the man decided to help her. "I'm Echizen Nanjiro; I'm this brat's father," he said with a smile.

Something clicked and all the embarrassment she felt disappeared in an instant. "You're the one who gave us the false information!"

Nanjiro looked bewildered but Ryoma just laughed. Sakuno, upon realizing that she had just shouted at complete stranger, went back to feeling mortified. Especially when Ryoma refused to stop laughing.

"Something I should know?" Nanjiro asked confused, scratching his head.

Sakuno looked at the floor.

"It's nothing," Ryoma said finally. "I'll meet you in the car."

Nanjiro seemed to recover upon hearing this. "I see. You want to spend a little more time with the cute little-"

The rest of the sentence was cut off when Ryoma threw one of the cushions at his head. Even with Nanjiro gone, Sakuno felt too embarrassed to look Ryoma in the eye. She rarely raised her voice and never in front of strangers.

"So I'll guess I'll be seeing you again?"

Though she knew what he meant, his statement still seemed rather intimate to her. "Yes," she said, still not looking him in the eye, "just call to schedule an appointment with Ann."

"And if I want to talk to you?"

She blushed, but responded firmly, "Ann handles the appointment."

"I see."

Something in his tone, made her glance up at him to see his expression. He was smirking the same way he was when he first arrived. And Sakuno could feel herself responding to his devilish look. She quickly looked back at the ground. It was safer.

Unfortunately, Ryoma had caught her glance and knew what it meant. "I'll be seeing you," he said again. She was about to respond when she felt warm lips gently touch her cheek.

"Goodbye Sakuno," he whispered in her ear before disappearing out the door.

Sakuno stood in the empty room with one hand to her cheek wondering just what the hell happened.


	4. Timing is Everything

**Author's Note: **So much for quick updates, right? Well, if you haven't heard my computer is still out of commission. Right now, I have to keep borrowing computers in order to post anything. Since I'm not sure when my computer will be fixed, updates will continue to be irregular. My profile page is the best way to keep track of the statuses of my stories. I will continue to _write _chapters so ideally when my computer is fixed (or a new one is bought) I will have several things to post at once. In any case, reviews and/or encouragement would be much appreciated.

**Important Note: **One of the upcoming prompts I will be working on is entitled 10. As a result, I have decided to accept **ten** prompt requests from reviewers. So please send them in so I can get to work.

**Warning: **This doesn't relate to any of the preceding chapters. Instead, I suppose it could be a continuation within the real series. Please note, that the timeline is most likely off since I placed Ryoma's return to Japan at the start of high school.

**Summary:** The apocalypse could come and Sakuno wouldn't have even noticed. Her only thought centered around one idea. She was going to be late.

**Prompt:** Dash

**Disclaimer: **Prince of Tennis is not mine. If it was, Sakuno would stutter less and Ryoma would talk more.

* * *

**Timing is Everything**

* * *

Sakuno ran as if the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels. She ran past the vendors selling their wares, past the bicyclists stopping to chat, past the children playing on the sidewalks. Her lungs burned, her heart raced, and legs tired. But she kept running. The apocalypse could come and Sakuno wouldn't have even noticed. Her only thought centered around one premise. She was going to be late. Again. And Ryoma was going to kill her.

Ever since his return from America at the start of high school, things had been up in the air between them. It was as if they were stuck in some sort of limbo, unsure of how to move forward and yet not willing to move back. And so, they both remained motionless. And it felt painful and awkward. Everyone kept watching them to see what would happen but when Ryoma and Sakuno got anywhere near each other, everyone would begin their friendly, but embarrassing, teasing. The pressure on the pair seemed enormous and for awhile Sakuno resigned herself to believing that nothing would ever happen between them. Then two weeks ago, everything changed.

Tennis practice had just ended and Ryoma was walking her home as he did whenever her grandmother couldn't drive her. She had tried to tell him she would be fine on her own, but he ignored her protests, as he always did, and continued to walk with her. They fell into silence after that. Sakuno kept sneaking glances at him to try to judge his mood. He seemed more withdrawn than usual and it looked like he had some puzzle or problem he was trying to solve. Not wanting to intrude on his privacy, she left him to his thoughts. But then, just as they were turning the corner down her block, he finally spoke.

"We have a tournament in Kanto in two weeks."

Sakuno looked at him, wondering where the conversation was going. Ryoma never spoke without a reason, but she didn't know why he brought up the tournament. Unfortunately, his face didn't offer any clues. He kept his eyes forward and avoided looking at her. "I remember, she said finally, "obaa-chan told me."

"Are you going to go?"

Once again, she looked at him curiously. "... I don't know. Obaa-chan says that if I do go I will have to miss school and I'm already a bit behind," she finished with a blush.

But for reasons that Sakuno didn't understand, her answer seemed to upset Ryoma. His eyebrows furrored together and his hands tightened into fists. She was about to apologize despite that fact was she didn't really know what to apologize for. She hated it when people got mad at her.

"I'm sorr-"

"You should go."

"What?"

Ryoma had stopped walking by this point and Sakuno stopped as well. She was confused by his closed expression and surprised by the tightness in his jaw and fists. He seemed tense, upset by something she didn't understand. Did he want her to leave because she did something wrong? She tried to make eye contact, but he refused to even glance at her. Instead, he kept his gaze firmly over her right shoulder. She sighed and turned to leave. It would appear that he didn't want her here anymore. She tried to hold back the disappointment. She had only gotten a few steps away when he grabbed her arm.

"Where are you going?"

She winced at his accusatory tone but couldn't understand its origins. "You told me to go," she mumbled looking at the ground

His eyes widened in brief surprise and it was a moment before he spoke. "I meant to the tournament."

Suddenly, everything clicked into place. Ryoma's unusual silence, his random mentioning of the tournament, his aversion to looking at her, it all made sense. Ryoma was actually nervous about asking her to attend the tournament! She had never seen this side of him, had never even known of its existence, but somehow it eased the anxiety she had been feeling for the last few months. It would seem that even the infallible Ryoma could get nervous.

"I'll be there," she said, "I promise."

She had promised Ryoma that she would be there, but by the time she would arrive she would miss most of the tournament. Worse yet, if she didn't get there soon. She would miss Ryoma's match. She urged her legs to go faster. But the anxiety in her stomach felt like a stone weighing her down. When she finally reached the gates, she wanted to cry with relief. She had finally arrived! She started to head inside when someone stopped her.

"You have to buy a ticket."

"A ticket?" she asked. No one had told she would need a ticket.

The man sighed. "Only official members of the team can get in for free," he explained, "everyone else has to buy a ticket."

Sakuno frantically dug in her pockets for some change. She hadn't planned on buying anything at the tournament so she didn't have much money on her. She gave him what she had but he just shook his head.

"You're still short," he said.

Sakuno looked at him with watery eyes, "C-can you just make an exception? A-after the game is o-over, I-I'll come b-back with more."

He shook his head. "I can't just let every girl in who bats her eyes or gives me a sob story. Everyone pays, that's the rule."

Sakuno was about to walk away defeated when she heard a voice calling her name. Startled, she turned to find Momo-sempai waving at her.

"Momo-sempai!" she said relieved, as he headed towards her, "I have to buy a ticket and I..."

"You didn't think to bring any money with you," he summarized.

She nodded and looked at the ground. Her cheeks were red with embarrassment. She felt like a little kid; she got lost constantly, was terrible of keeping track of the time and now she looked like she couldn't be trusted with money too.

But Momo didn't criticize her. Instead, he just shook his head and smiled. "Ryoma thought that might happen. He gave me some money to bail you out."

Sakuno's cheeks went brighter. It was bad enough that she hadn't thought to bring any money with her, but it was worse that Ryoma had expected her to do so. She kept her eyes on the ground as Momo paid the man. When he finished, Momo grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

"Ryoma's already on the court," he explained as Sakuno jogged to keep up with the much taller sophomore. Another wave of disappointment hit her. By the time they reached the far court, Sakuno was once again out of breath. A crowd had formed around the court and Sakuno wondered how she would ever make it through. Fortunately, Momo had an idea. Using his taller frame he made a path through the crowd, allowing Sakuno followed him unhindered. He managed to get her a spot at the fence and immediately Sakuno looked for Ryoma.

He was the far side of the court and he looked upset. Sakuno couldn't help but think that she was the reason for it. When his opponent served, Ryoma immediately slammed the ball back at such speeds that the other player couldn't get there in time to return it. Sakuno winced. He definitely looked angry.

"That's game," the referee said, "Seigaku wins."

Startled by the announcement, Sakuno looked in disbelief at the scoreboard. All five sets were already marked off. And the kid running it had just put up the sixth one in Ryoma's favor. She had missed the entire game except for the very last serve. She had missed everything. Shocked Sakuno looked back to Ryoma's side of the court. Intense hazel eyes stared back at her unwaveringly. To Sakuno's horror and complete embarrassment, she bursted into tears and ran away from the courts.

Some minutes later, her tears had finally started to subside but the embarrassment had renewed. She couldn't believe she had just done that. She was a high school student and instead of acting like one she ran off like some child. She knew why though. All the anxiety of the few months, all the worry and hope and fear, had come rushing back in that moment when he looked at her. Then when the guilt of unintentionally missing his game combined with that anxiety, she couldn't take it anymore. She snapped under the pressure. But what would Ryoma think of her now? That thought caused the tears to come rushing back to her eyes. Was he angry at her for breaking her promise? Was he disgusted by inability to have any control over her emotions? Would he ever talk to her again?

"Here," a voice said as a grape ponta appeared in her face, "if you don't take it the drink will get warm."

She peered through her hands to see the speaker. To her surprise, Ryoma-kun stood before her. Once again it seemed he would look anywhere but at her whereas she could only stare at him in confused fascination.

He jiggled the can. "Well?" he asked.

Sniffling, she accepted the drink from his hands. With her free hand she tried to wipe away the tears with the back of her hand.

"Did you get lost?"

Sakuno ducked her head in mortification then nodded. She had spent forty-five minutes headed in the completely opposite direction before realizing her mistake.

"I thought so," he said before taking a sip of his ponta.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, vision blurring as new tears came to her eyes. Would she never stop crying?

"Oi, cut out the waterworks," he said.

But Sakuno didn't seem to hear him. She felt devastated as if she ruined whatever they had going between them before it had even begun. "I'm so sorry," she said again, the tears running faster now.

She thought she heard him mutter something in English but when she turned her head to ask a pair of warm lips met her cheek. She froze.

"Stop crying," he whispered into her ear.

In shock, the tears slowed and her sniffles ceased. Eventually Sakuno even managed to look at him. He still wouldn't look at her but his pink tinted cheeks spoke of his embarrassment. Her cheeks went a dull shade of red as the significance of what happened was made apparent. Ryoma had just kissed her.

The dull red went brighter and her nervous hands began to make the drink shake a little. She stared at the ground, afraid that a second glance would repaint her cheeks a brighter color.

"It's just a game," he said finally and it took her a moment to remember what they had been talking about.

When she remembered, she felt a small wave of disappoint go through her, but this time it didn't hurt as much as it did before. Ryoma did have a point. She had only missed one of his games. She frowned sadly. She wished there was a way to make up for it.

It would seem that Ryoma could read her mind because he spoke up again. "Just make sure you're on time for the next one," he said hiding his eyes by adjusting his cap.

Sakuno nodded shyly, cheeks still holding unto a light red hue. "I promise."


	5. Destiny

**Author's Note:** I have to say that this was a hard prompt to write on. I mean, why would Ryoma have trouble making Sakuno his? And the alternative of Sakuno being depressed about being unable to be with Ryoma appealed to me even less. That's when this little idea hit me and I just ran with it. I must warn you to read carefully unto the end.

**Important Note:** I can take eight more prompt requests for this story. If you want me to take yours, simply send an email, a PM, or a review with desired situation/word/phrase. So please let me know what you've got for ideas!

**Warning:** Read carefully to the end of the chapter, otherwise things will not make sense. Also this chapter does follow chapter two – Unrivaled.

**Summary:** He loved her. But she loved someone else. And destiny was bound to keep them apart.

**Prompt:** #26 If Only I Could Make You Mine (follows chapter two – Unrivaled)

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis is not mine. If it was, Ryoma would smile at Sakuno more.

* * *

Kiss Kiss  
#26 If Only I Could Make You Mine  
Destiny

* * *

He watched with a growing sense of regret and remorse as she gave _him_ yet another shy smile. From the angle he was at he couldn't tell how the boy reacted, but it didn't stop a feeling of anger begin to alit within his gut. That man didn't deserve Sakuno. No one did. And yet, Sakuno choose _him_ to devote all her affections to.

Even the knowledge that the pair weren't dating didn't stop him from feeling a bit envious. Even now, he felt like a voyeur intruding on some intimate moment anytime Sakuno gave that man a smile. His hands tightened into fists as he watched them walk together. He wasn't a pervert or peeping tom. He was just a man who fell in love with a girl. Only problem was he found out two weeks ago that the girl loved someone else.

Now every time, he saw them together a mixture of anger and pain and regret stole his breath and left motionless. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. He was supposed to be the one she smiled at. He was supposed to be the one she walked home with at night. He was supposed to be the one she loved.

So why wasn't he?

Why did she persist in bestowing all her concern on someone who continuously disregarded her feelings? Why did she continue to love someone, knowing that he would never love her in return? Why did she put herself through such pain?

He tried to ask her once, desperate to open her eyes to his feelings for her. Instead, his attempt pushed her even further away than ever before.

* * *

"_Ryuzaki-san."_

_Startled, Sakuno looked back. But when she saw who had spoken her name, she became tense and hesitate. She looked around the hallway for a familiar face to give her an excuse to leave but most of the students had already departed for the today._

"_I just want to talk," he said, wincing at the slight tinge of desperation in his voice. But really what choice did he have since she had started avoiding him for the last two weeks. _

_She shuffled her books nervously but finally nodded._

"_I'm sorry," the words didn't come easily for him, but this girl he was finding himself willing to try anything. _

_Her warm brown eyes were wide with surprise as she stared at him in shock. At the start of her smile, he felt such relief that his brain shut off and his mouth kept running. "I really am sorry," he said, with a smile, "I still don't know what I said that upset you so much, but I am sorry."_

_Immediately, the smile disappeared before it could fully form and with it went his last hopes of repairing the weakened relationship between them. _

"_You still don't understand," she said sadly, shaking her head, "I love him and I probably always will." And with that, she sadly walked away. He remained where he stood in the now empty hallway. In one single moment, he had lost it all._

* * *

Another two weeks had gone by since then, making it a full month since everything changed. No longer was he permitted to sit and laugh by her side at lunch. No longer did he see her blushes and smiles as he walked with her to class. Now all of those things were set aside and reserved for another man leaving him with no other alternative but to watch her from a distance as she fell deeper in love with someone else. It hurt. But the thing that hurt most of all was watching as the man began to return her affections.

Lately, the pair had begun talking to each other more both inside and outside of class. He had even heard rumors that they had begun holding hands when he walked her home. At first he had dismissed it as idle gossip but tonight he saw for himself. He hadn't intended on running into them. He had been just going to the store to buy something for his mom when he saw them up ahead. Without even thinking about it, he ducked behind a corner to see what was happening.

He watched them walk slowly down the street, hand in hand. He watched Sakuno giggle at something the man and watched him smirk in return. Then he watched something that froze his body both inside and out. The man leaned down and kissed Sakuno.

It was too dark to see but he was willing to bet that Sakuno's cheeks were a bright shade of red. The pain of losing her still ached but he knew it time it would fade. He shook his head and sighed. He should have listened more to his classmates. They told him not to get involved with Ryuzaki Sakuno. They told him that he was doomed from the start. After all, Ryuzaki Sakuno and Echizen Ryoma were destiny.

And there was nothing that he, a transfer student from Morioka, could do to change that. Sighing, Ishikawa Katsu walked home leaving the lovers alone in peace.


	6. Utterly Doomed

**Author's Note: **A lot of people have requested a sequel to "Just What The Doctor Ordered" so here it is. Already, there are a potential two more sequels to this chapter in the drafting stages. And once again, please submit a prompt soon if you want me to post it here. Finally, please let me know of any errors so I may correct them.

**Warning:**Alternative Universe; shirtless!Ryoma; Follows chapter three – Just What The Doctor Ordered

**Summary**: Sakuno was a professional. Just because Ryoma was a difficult patient didn't mean she couldn't handle him. So what if Ryoma looked good without his shirt, it didn't mean anything right? So what if she couldn't stop staring, that didn't matter either. Let's face it, Sakuno was doomed from the start.

**Prompt**: #23 Candy

**Disclaimer**: Prince of Tennis is not mine. If it was, Sakuno would banter with Ryoma. (And by banter, I mean flirt.)

* * *

Kiss Kiss  
#23 Candy  
Utterly Doomed

* * *

Sakuno looked at the clock for the fifth time in the last two minutes. The minute hand seemed frozen, a fact that Sakuno found both relieving and distressing. For the last hour, she had spent her time dreading the upcoming appointment: Echizen Ryoma. The man was absolutely infuriating. He had the unusual gift of getting on her nerves faster than anyone she had evermet. But that wasn't what bothered her. What Sakuno found truly upsetting was that she liked it. She liked it when they bickered. She liked it when he sent her that charming smile in order to get his way. She liked it when he continued to flirt with her despite her protests. Put simply, she liked him. But she wasn't supposed to.

She had put the rules there for a reason. The rule against forming personal relationships with clients was there to ensure her own credibility. When she first opened the small practice, most people said that it would never work. She was too young, too fresh out of school, too much of a _girl_and everyone 'knew' that girls couldn't separate their professional and personal life. But though Sakuno had struggled at first, she had eventually put a stop to such rumors. She showed everyone that she belonged in the professional world just as much as they did. And then Echizen Ryoma strolled into her office one day and suddenly she found herself wanting to break all the rules she had set.

She glanced at the clock again, sixteen more minutes until Ryoma showed up. She shook her head, silently chiding herself for acting like some common schoolgirl with a crush on the boy in her class. She was a professional. She could handle this.

"I hope you don't mind but I'm a bit early."

Startled, Sakuno's eyes darted to the doorway where the object of her thoughts now stood. Her eyes darted to the clock.

"I still have fifteen minutes!" she cried.

Upon noticing the panic in her tone, Ryoma smirked – a sign that Sakuno had privately categorized as Extremely Dangerous. Not that she thought enough of him to put his gestures or smiles into categories or anything.

"I'm sure we can find something to do in those fifteen minutes," he said flashing her an innocent grin that was undermined by the wicked gleam in his hazel eyes.

Sakuno blushed to a bright cherry red. She was doomed.

The appointment that followed went like all the others leaving Sakuno torn between the desire to bash him upside the head for his blatant flirting and innuendo and the desire to encourage him to follow through on some of his promises. Sakuno decided the best course was to do neither. The first would only serve as encouragement that his words had an effect on her and the latter she feared would scare him enough that he stopped entirely. Instead, she alternated between blushing and barking out orders. Both of which Ryoma decided to interpret as enormous sources of amusement. It didn't help matters much that even innocent actions like touching his wrist to measure his pulse sent her heart racing.

"If you could just take off your shirt for a moment Ryoma-san," she said absently while marking some notes on her clipboard.

When she heard a muffled laugh, she looked up to see Ryoma grinning. Quickly thinking over her last words, she realized what was about to happen. Unfortunately, it was too late to stop it.

"Well Sakuno," he said, shaking his head in mock disappointment, "I didn't know you were _that_ type of girl." The combination of his words and her name used so familiarly on his tongue sent shivers down her spine and color to her cheeks.

"I'm just going to listen to your heart!" she shouted, embarrassed that he had managed to fluster her once again.

Ryoma made a dismissive noise as if he didn't believe her and then had the audacity to wink, "of course you are."

The reddish hue to her cheeks rose to new heights. She took a breath trying to calm down. "I'm going to listen to your heart, that's all," she said evenly.

He sighed, "what a pity…"

But before Sakuno could retort, Ryoma had began to slowly peel off his shirt. He started at the bottom, slowly lifting the edges up and up until she could see the six pack of his abs, the lean but muscular chest, and the smirking twist to his lips. "Should I go again or was once enough," he asked continuing to smirk.

Sakuno floundered for a moment like a fish on dry land before finally giving up. "You're impossible!" she shouted.

Ryoma laughed and eventually the humor of the situation won her over and Sakuno gave in and laughed as well. "You're impossible," she repeated with a smile.

Something in her expression or in the tone of her voice must have caught his attention because suddenly his eyes focused solely on her. His intense hazel eyes fixated solely on her as if looking or waiting for something. The laughter died in her throat. Her breath caught in her lungs and her heart began to pound at full speeds. She stood waiting for something, anything to tell her what she should do or how to react to this unknown feeling. Then it happened. Ryoma took a step forward. And Sakuno fled.

As she ran out the door, she passed Inui in the hallway. "Could you take Echizen's heart rate for me, I think I forgot my stethoscope in one of the other rooms," she shouted in passing.

"Sakuno-san, it is around your neck."

"Thanks, I'll be back in a bit."

Leaving a bewildered Inui to deal with the confusing Ryoma, Sakuno raced into an empty training room at the end of the hall. Closing it tightly behind her, she leaned against the door and sank to the floor. With her hands, covering her warm face and lit red cheeks. She groaned. She was so doomed.

It took a full five minutes for her to convince herself to get back on her feet and another three before she mustered up the courage to head back to the other room. The only thing that drove her was the fact that it wasn't Inui's responsibility to take care of Ryoma. It was hers. She had a job to do and she wasn't going to let a minor crush affect her in such a way. Even so, her hand wavered before she managed to finally open the door.

"I'm back," she said.

Inui nodded and didn't say anything. Ryoma on the other hand, grinned. "You gonna hang around this time, doc?" he asked with a cocky grin.

She took a breath and tried to remember every lesson Tomo had told her about dealing with unruly children. Lesson One: never show fear. Putting a hand on her hip and forcing a confident smile on her face, Sakuno didn't back down. "You're my patient, aren't you?"

He smirked, hazel eyes twinkling, "so I am."

The rest of the session went relatively smoothly. Ryoma continued to try his best to fluster her but he kept things within reason as if sensing that too much would send her sprinting from the room again. Also, the fact that Sakuno refused to let him unsettle her again, ensured that she gave as good as she got. She took a lesson from Tezuka's former training method when he attended Seigaku High School; anytime anyone questions authority, make them face a consequence. When Ryoma's comments became less than professional, the number of exercises he had to do magically increased. Eventually, he got the hint. And eventually, the sheer amount of required exercises caused him to hold his tongue more. It didn't however stop him from smirking though. And as Sakuno was reluctant to admit, that smirk did more to her insides than any of his comments did.

"That's all for today," she said, watching in part fascination and in part amusement as a tired Ryoma greedily gulped down some water. A part of her wondered if she went too far, making him work harder because he embarrassed her, but that was soon dismissed. Ryoma seemed the blunt type; if he was upset at something, she had no doubt he would vocalize his displeasure. Not to mention that despite his injury, Ryoma-san was still fairly in shape she thought with a blush as she glanced at her patient who had kept his shirt off during some of the difficult exercises.

"I've been meaning to ask you, what's with the dish?"

Startled and worried about being caught ogling his body, Sakuno was relieved to follow his line of sight to see a small candy dish sitting on one of the counters. She gave a dismissive shrug and willed the color in her cheeks to die down, "this clinic treats patients of all ages, including children. Sometimes kids need a bit of an incentive to encourage them to work hard at the exercises. The suckers are all sugar-free but they still manage to do the trick."

"How come I've never gotten one?"

She laughed. "They're for kids!"

"So? What if I wanted one, could I have one?" he asked reaching out his hand. Quickly, she snagged the dish from the counter and turned so her body shielded it.

She shook her head, at his disappointed look, still giggling. "Sorry, Ryoma-san, the candy is reserved only for the _good _kids."

He smirked – the dangerous looking one that had the tendency of turning her insides to mush. "Oh, I can definitely be _good_," he said.

Stunned by richness in his tone, Sakuno had no time to react when reached around her body to snag a piece from the candy dish. He quickly popped the sweet treat in his mouth and gave her a light peck on her cheek as he did on the first day they met.

"I'll see you on Thursday," he called before grabbing his shirt and walking out the door. Dazed, Sakuno set the candy dish back on the counter and looked around the room before she glancing at the doorway at the doorway. Blushing, her hand absentmindedly touched her cheek as she smiled. She was learning that when it came to Ryoma-kun, she was definitely doomed from the start.

But truthfully, she didn't mind one bit.


	7. Raise The Volume

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the delay, but the updates going on had been interfering with posting this chapter. I will warn you this chapter was only partially edited; some sections might be later amended. Also, some people have commented that they would like to see "Just What the Doctor Ordered" turned into a regular story… I am beginning to consider the idea. Finally, I sent out reminders to the reviewers to submit a prompt. I want to get to work on them as soon as possible.

**Warning**: This story follows after chapter four, "Timing is Everything." However, references to the fourth chapter are rather minor. This chapter features Ryoma and Sakuno in an established relationship.

**Summary**: There was no doubt that Sakuno was the quiet one. Even so, Ryoma had his ways of getting her to raise the volume.

**Prompt**: #17 kHz

**Disclaimer**: Prince of Tennis is not mine. If it was, Ryoma would believe in public displays of affection.

* * *

Kiss Kiss  
#17 kHz  
Raise The Volume

* * *

"Go Ryoma-sama!"

"Win Ryoma-sama!"

"Give it everything you've got Ryoma-sama!"

Ryoma wanted to roll his eyes at the screaming of his beloved fans. He had just walked out unto the courts, hadn't even had a serve yet and they were already screeching. Looking around he was met with deafening cheer from crowd filled with ogling teenage girls. He was then momentarily taken back when he saw two middle school girls in the corner wearing I love Ryoma shirts. When they noticed he was looking their way, they began squealing like two chubby piglets. …it was disturbing to say the least.

He scanned the crowds briefly once more before finally locating his actual target. There she stood, standing behind the fence near where his team sat. When Sakuno realized where his attention was centered, she blushed and dropped her eyes but not before he saw her small pleased smile that he was learning meant he had done something right.

He smirked. Three and a half years ago, he would never have imagined dating the shy granddaughter of his first tennis coach. She was his complete opposite. She was shy but on the friendly side; he tended to avoid any and all social interactions. She was quiet; he was blunt and not afraid to speak his mind. She constantly worried what others thought whereas most of the time he couldn't care less.

But three years had done wonders in helping him reevaluate his first impressions of her. She was shy, but she loved meeting new people. She worried what others' thought because she wanted to be considerate of their feelings. And although, she may seem like the quiet one, he knew that had a set of lungs on her that could rival Osakada.

And Ryoma had ways of getting Sakuno to raise the volume.

"You're the best Ryoma-sama!"

"You can do it Ryoma-sama!"

"You'll win for sure Ryoma-sama!"

He ducked his head down so his eyes were hidden under the cap. Unnoticed, his amber eyes rolled at the ubiquitous comments from his adoring admirers. He had long ago accepted Sakuno's quieter nature but sometimes having a too-quiet girlfriend and too many noisy fans made for a difficult match. He could barely hear her. In the past, it was never a problem. In the past, all he had to do to concentrate was to tune out everything else. In the past, he focused everything he had on one set, one game, one tennis court. Fans, coaches, teammates, everything disappeared but his opponent and one neon green tennis ball. And most of the time, he still played just like that. But then a tougher opponent would come along and suddenly he found himself distracted. When the games got harder, he was annoyed to find his attention slipping and his eyes glancing at her place in the stands. Fortunately, the fix to his problems only took a moment. In the moment, when her eyes locked on his the narrowed world he had constructed of just him and his opponent widened to include her. And then, that overwhelming drive to win would rush through him at full force, rejuvenating his body and pushing him to succeed.

Even so, he hadn't liked his newfound dependency on her at first. It was annoying to have to find someone so quiet out of a crowd of screaming fans just so he could concentrate. But when she unintentionally missed his game a few weeks back and his eyes wouldn't stop darting to the stands to find her, he reluctantly conceded defeat. He realized that he was just going to have to accept the fact that his world now included her in it.

Still, he thought, if she would only be a bit louder it would be easier to find her in all the messy array of voices.

As the game progress, the noise level only seemed to increase. Each point made by him or his opponent was met with a cheer from the crowd or a groan of disappointment. Each unfair call received loud boos and each call that went in his favor was met with rounds of applause. Most players would find such support encouraging. Ryoma just wished they would all just leave.

He was trying to play tennis, not act as some entertainer. Most of the people who attended the tennis team's matches nowadays knew little to nothing about the game being played. And that was just irritating. It was a tennis game, not some chance to scope out hotties.

When the match had reached game point, Ryoma prepared himself for his serve. As he bounced the ball once then twice, a delighted trill went up into the crowd. His jaw clenched in aggravation. He was just about to serve and they _still _couldn't stop screeching. Trying to relax, he bounced the tennis ball against the court again. His head lowered for a single moment and hidden beneath the rim of his cap, his eyes closed. Quietly he focused all his attention on one small voice in the crowd.

"Fight-o Ryoma-kun," she whispered.

His body moved into action. His arm tossed the ball upward and his body jumped up to follow it. Pulling back his arm then snapped it forward, slamming the ball to the other side of the court before his opponent had time to react. The crowd erupted in cheers and the one small voice let out the breath she had been holding in relief.

Echizen Ryoma had won.

He made his way off the court and into the thundering mass of the crowd. As his teammates shouted out their congratulations and slapped his shoulder in glee, he focused on one person. Like usual, she held herself slightly away from the team and watched their antics with a small smile. He quietly made his way to her. When she noticed his approach, she blushed but didn't attempt to run away.

"Sakuno."

She blushed more. "Ryoma," she said quietly, still embarrassed by his attention after three months of dating. They stood in silence for a few minutes before she opened her mouth to speak again.

"It was a good match."

He nodded. When he saw his team about to steal him away from more celebrations, he knew there was one more thing he had to do first. His body moved into action. His lips closed on hers for a quick but demanding kiss. Before she even knew what happened, he had pulled away leaving her dazed with the taste of grape ponta on her lips. And for the second time since the beginning of the match, the roar of the crowd was silenced and the world narrowed in include only the two of them. Eventually however, Sakuno got her bearings.

"R-ryoma-kun!" she shouted in surprise, gaining the attention of nearly everyone around them. The red hue of her cheeks made him kiss her again, light and fleeting, just because he could. Then, before the gears in her brain began turning once more, he headed back to his team, his lips cocked into a smirk. The smirk grew more pronounced he spotted the jaw-slack expressions of his fellow teammates who had no doubt heard her shout and noticed the second kiss.

Yes, Sakuno was definitely the quiet one, but Ryoma had ways of making her turn up the volume.


	8. Dangerous Omens

**Author's Note**: I'm really not sure where this story came from but I think it had something to do with me being on a bit of a caffeine high. Yeah, that's right I'm blaming it all on the coffee. In other news, I'm still working on turning Just What The Doctor Ordered into a story. Unfortunately, I have several later chapters outlined but not much from the beginning chapters is complete yet. Darn uncooperative muses…

**Warning**: This chapter demonstrates the perils of jumping to conclusions. It is also unedited. (Perhaps not the wisest of combinations, but I was in a rush to post it.)

**Summary**: He didn't want to do this. It would break his wife's heart to hear what he had discovered but it needed to be done. Still, he kind of wished she wasn't wielding a three inch blade as he broke the news.

**Prompt:** #12 in a good mood

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Prince of Tennis. If I did, the following story would no doubt occur in an episode of the series.

* * *

Kiss Kiss  
#12 in a good mood  
Dangerous Omens

* * *

He didn't want to do this. It would break his wife's heart to hear what he had discovered but it needed to be done. He had to tell her. After all, she had a right to know.

"Sweetheart," he called, cautiously stepping into the entrance of the kitchen.

"Hm?" she responded, continuing to cut carrots for dinner.

He nervously cleared his throat eyeing the large blade in her hands. His wife was a wonderful, loving and caring woman. She also had a rather ferocious temper when upset. It was beautiful to behold but only from a safe distance. He eyed the weapon in her hands again and took a half step back. It would be better to stay out of range, just in case. "There's something I need to tell you…"

The knife suddenly hesitated just inches above the cutting board as she turned to look at him. "What is it?" she asked, the words came out short and clipped. Her eyes had already begun to narrow at him, turning her normal cheerful expression into a suspicious frown.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves and forget the image of his beautiful wife wielding a deadly three-inch blade. He needed to say this for his son's sake.

"I think Ryoma's doing drugs."

To his horror, the news broke Rinko's heart so much that she lost it. He watched in stunned disbelief as his poor, pitiful wife began to laugh. It began as a small chuckle but soon hysterical laughter bubbled out of her throat. The loud guffaws of laughter shook her petite shoulders and sent tears to her eyes. "Ryoma…. drugs," she said before the laughter overtook her once more.

"I mean it," Nanjiro said desperately, an unintentional whine sneaking into his voice. But her laughter only grew louder.

"Why," she asked between giggles, "would you think that Ryoma would be doing drugs?"

Her question finally gave him the opening he needed. This would prove to her that his fears were founded. This would prove that their dear boy was walking down dangerous path that would lead to nowhere but pain and destruction.

"Have you seen him lately?" he asked. She shook her head in the negative, the laughter finally beginning to subside. "He's been acting really weird the last week or so."

This drew her attention. "What do you mean?" she asked growing slightly concerned.

He paused, trying to choose his words carefully. "He's been… well," he tried to pinpoint what exactly had sent him on edge, "it's just… Ryoma keeps smiling."

"Smiling?"

"Yeah, he keeps smiling all the time and he just looks so happy it's scary."

Rinko managed to make eye contact for a few more seconds before she lost it again. Cue the second round of uncontrollable laughter.

Nanjiro sighed, exasperated. Rinko never took him seriously, he thought with a mild pout. "Honey, you're not listening to me," he said, the unintentional whine sneaking back into his voice.

She patted him reassuringly on the shoulder but the laughter continued. Nanjiro sighed in hopeless frustration. He gave up. He had tried to convince her. She would just have to learn the hard way that he knew what he was talking about here.

But when he heard the front door close and a voice calling out tadiama, he grinned with renewed determination. "Here," he said delightedly, "I'll prove it to you."

Rinko rubbed the tears of laughter out of her eyes and tilted her head to look at him. "Is that so," she drawled, clearly unconvinced.

He scowled. "Yes," he replied petulantly.

She waved her hand as if to prompt him to continue. He grinned. Finally, she was listening. "Boy," he called not breaking eye contact with his wife, "get in here."

Ryoma slowly made his way into the kitchen. "What?" he asked suspiciously from the doorway.

Nanjiro continued to look at his wife. Rinko rolled her eyes at her husband. "How was school today?" he asked, raising his eyebrows as if to prove his point. And in a way, it did.

Rinko watched in disbelief as her typically emotionally-reticent son smiled, not smirked, but _smiled_ secretly to himself. But the grin quickly disappeared. "Fine," he replied brusquely as if nothing had happened. Rinko struggled to not openly gape at her son. Since when did he start smiling like that?

"Anything unusual happened?" Nanjiro asked.

There, it happened again! Ryoma smiled but this time the corners of his lips seemed decidedly smug. And this time the smug grin remained. "Nope, nothing _un_usual," he drawled back as if bored by the conversation. Rinko eyed her son carefully, her mind quietly sorting through the different possibilities. She knew her son. He wasn't the sort to do drugs but clearly _something_ strange was going on.

"Play any tennis?" Nanjiro asked, turning to see Ryoma's response.

This time no smile, smug or otherwise, appeared. "No," he responded as if confused in the turn of conversation.

Nanjiro nodded as if in agreement with his answer but one hand scratched at his chin as if puzzled. "You were out awfully late…"

Ryoma's responding grin emerged and disappeared in an instant. "I suppose," he drawled uncaringly in response but the gleam in his hazel eyes told Rinko everything she needed to know. A wide smile cut across her face.

Ryoma caught her grin and looked at her quizzically. Her knowing smile grew decidedly smug at the edges. Ryoma blushed. And Nanjiro just looked between the two of them in befuddlement.

Rinko cleared her throat slightly. "Why don't you go wash up for dinner," she kindly suggested to her son.

Ryoma nodded and left the room. Rinko went back to finishing the meal. Nanjiro alternated between glaring at the doorway where his son left and sending confused glances at his wife. "What was that?" he finally exclaimed.

She smiled secretively. "It's not drugs," she said as she put the fresh cut vegetables on the table.

Nanjiro blinked. "It's not?"

"Nope," she responded happily.

He glanced one more time at the door Ryoma just went out of and back at his wife's smile. "How do you know?" he asked sullenly, leaning against the corner beside her.

She flashed him the same bright smile that made him fall in love with her. He scooted closer. "Well?" he prodded.

She put knife in the sink to be washed later and wiped her hands on her apron. "Because," she said scooting closer to him, "I'll bet you all of your old tennis trophies that Ryoma-kun has a girlfriend."

Nanjiro thought back to Ryoma's smug smiles during the past week, his newfound eagerness to head to school early and the way he didn't return until late at night. A wide grin spread across Nanjiro's face. "A girlfriend, huh?" he said rubbing a hand over his chin. He quickly dropped a loud kiss on his wife's cheek and headed out of the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" she called after him.

"To give the boy some advice about girls!"


End file.
